On Delegation…..

Recently I spent three days in a client’s business as he held an in-house conference for staff and a few other key people.  The owner is a high-impact, straight-forward person with a no-nonsense approach to life and business.   The conference was refreshing.  I learned a lot about the company and hopefully contributed insights that helped others, too.

What struck me about the owner was his hands-off approach to letting his directors run the show.  He made an occasional “deep dive” into some key areas, but for the most part, he maintained the discipline of delegation, and stayed out of the way.

Owners and leaders can do this even if they have a tendency to micro-manage, but only if they have confidence in their people.  Developing that confidence doesn’t happen overnight.  It is a process that is practiced over what is often a significant period of time.

But the key to achieving the goal of proper delegation is to be convinced that you will benefit from it and to be committed to making it happen by not undermining the authority and responsibility you have given.  People must have the latitude to achieve on their own and this will never happen if leaders feel that no one can do the job as well as they can.

So the next time you want others to take charge, let them, and stay out of their way so they can get the job done.  You will benefit and so will they.

Here are a few Business & Life Tips to think about…..

Business Tips:

• Don’t just meet with your managers. Include staff on the front lines of your business to know what’s going on with customers.
• Hire people who are smarter than you. Treat them well, show them respect and dignity, and reward them with praise, often.
• Your business may not be what you think it is. It may be much more about what peoples’ perception is of the business.

Life Tips:

• Life brings issues that should not be faced alone. Having a core group of true friends is a great blessing not to be over-looked.
• If we do something for someone every day, it will become a habit that helps us forget about our own issues to focus on others.
• Listening is the key to good communication. A real conversation involves listening first and speaking later.

Here are a couple past articles written by Bill:

Are You a Good Leader of People? A Must Read…

Team Builders